Music-rack for pianos



(No Model.)

B. W. HOWARD.

MUSIC RACK FOR PIANOSP No. 393,562. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

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vided with a musicsupport embodying; this UNITED STATES PATENT BLANGHE WILLIS HOWARD, OF BANGOR, MA IKE.

lVlUSlC-RACK FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,562, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed December 27, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BLANCHEWILLIS How- ARD, of Bangor, county of Penobscot, State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Music-Racks for Pianos, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a music-rack adapted to support the music much farther forward than the usual music-rack, so that it can be readily seen by a nearsighted person, and preferably capable of wide ranges of adjustment with relation to the keys of the piano.

The invention consists in a music-rack for application to piano-fortes and the like, con structed and arranged substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a music rack or support embodying this invention; Fi 2, a

c perspective View of a portion ofa piano proinvention; Fig. 3, a sectional detail of one of the joints; Fig. 4, a modification to be referred to; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on line X X, Fig. 1, of the clampingjoint between the telescoping rods.

The rack or music-holder proper, a, may be of usual construction, being shown as comprising a base, a, and uprights a that can be folded down upon the base when required. The said rack a is supported on a pair of brackets, each of which is provided with a clamp, Z), properly shaped to be fastened upon some portion of the piano-forteas, for example, the top of an upright piano, as shown in Fig. 2. The said clamps b are provided with sockets b, in which are supported rods 0, that may be moved up and down in said sockets, and are fastened at the desiredheightby clamp ing devices If. The rods 0 are connected at their ends by joints 0 with arms 0* 0, shown as made in two parts connected by ajoint, c, which joints 0 and 0* may be made as shown in Fig. 3, and are adjusted to turn with con siderable friction, so that the arms or rods connected by them will remain in whatever position they maybe turned to by the operator, and the axis of said joints is horizontal, per mitting an adjustment of the parts 0 c of the arms in a vertical plane.

Serial No. 259,035. (No model.)

The arm 0 is connected by a joint, (I, with an arm, (1, moving telescopically in a hollow rod or tube, 0, connected by a joint, 0, with the base a of the rack a, which joint 0', like the joints 0 c", is made sufiiciently tight to pro veutthe parts from turning except when moved positively by the operator for the purpose of adjusting the position of the rack.

The tube 6 may-be made as a split clampingtube,tapering, substantially as shown, and provided with the binding-nut e to bind the tube in any given position upon the rod (1. The rack can also be further adjusted forward or backward or vertically by bending thejoints c, c, and c, as indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 1.

There is a swivel at 0' between the joint 0 and base a of the music-rack, and, if desired, the rack may be moved up close to the piano by loosening the clamping device I)", so that the rod 0 may turn in the sockets b, thus permitting the arm c 0" to turn in the horizontal direction until parallel with the piano, the arm (1 e at the same time turning on the joint (1 to the position parallel with the arm 0* c. XVhen this operation of turning or folding the arm 0 0* and d 0 toward the piano is not required, the joint (1 may be omitted, and if it were desired merely to support the rack up over the keys, so as to bring the music near enough for a near-sighted person to see to read without providing for various adjustments, the construction of the brackets might besimplitied, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4, in which the rods 0 and arms 0 are rigidly connected, and said arms 0 move telescopically in the tubes c connected with the music-rack. This construction admits of a vertical adjustment in the sockets Z) and a forward and backward movement by the telescopejoint; but the construction shown in Fig. 1 is preferable and more convenient.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 there is a swivel in the arm 0" between the joints 0 and c, as shown at 0 which increases the adj ustability of the entire structure, so that when the joints 0, 0*, and e are adjusted by the nuts shown in Fig. 3 to turn with suitable friction the said structure will afford sufficient support for the rack a and music resting thereon; but the said rack can be readily moved in any direction, either up or down, or to the right or left, by the hand of the operator, so as to bring any part of the sheet of music to the desired position.

2. The combination of the rack a with the soeketed clamp b, rod a, vertically adjustable in the socket, and jointed arm 0 0, jointed to the said rod 0, the rod (1 having a swivelconnection with said jointed arm, the tube 6, adjustable on said rod, and the friction hingejoint e',1)ivotally connecting the rack and the tube 0, substantially as described.

In testimony whereo'fI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

B'LANOITE \VILLIS HOXVARD.

\Vitnesses:

M. S. SMITH, Tune. A'nENn'nIM. 

